Tufted carpet structures, such as synthetic turf, are often employed to reduce labor and other expense associated with the maintenance of natural surfaces, such as natural grass surfaces. Such tufted carpet structures are often used as athletic fields, playground surfaces, safety surfaces, running/walking trail surfaces, landscaping walkway surfaces, and equestrian surfaces.
Tufted carpets, including synthetic turfs, are made by tufting fiber bundles through a primary backing material, which is often a woven fabric. These fiber bundles are then secured to the primary backing by the application of a coating that covers the portion of the fiber bundles tufted into the primary backing. In many cases, the coating includes a polyurethane. The coating is important for locking the fiber bundles to the primary backing, which is a property sometimes known as tuftbind. The polyurethane coating also often provides other important properties to the carpet, such as dimensional stability, moisture resistance, and flame retardency. In addition to the fiber bundles, primary backing, and coating, the carpet may also include other layers, such as a secondary backing and a foam layer.
Tuftbind is an important feature of carpets, especially synthetic turfs, because it reflects the degree to which the tufts are bound, or locked, into the primary backing. As will be appreciated, synthetic turfs in particular can be subject to stresses as a result of physical activity that is taking place on the structure. The extent to which the structure can withstand such stresses, and maintain the tufts bound, i.e., locked, into the primary backing, is an important property for the durability and appearance of the synthetic turf.
As a result, it would be desirable to provide carpets, especially synthetic turfs, that include a polyurethane coating that enables the carpet to have improved tuftbind, while maintaining the other advantages of carpets that employ polyurethane backing coatings.